Improved washing-machine



uUNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcEu J. HINDMAN, OF OLATHE, KANSAS.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,604, dated November 13, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. HINDMAN, of Olathe, in the county of Johnson and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of this invention is to lessen the labor and perfect the operation of washin g clothes 5 and theinvention consists in operating a shaft and washer in such a manner that the clothes shall be thorough-ly cleansed by rubbing, squeezing, and rollin g; and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is a vertical section through the line xx of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine. l

Similar letters indicate like parts in the drawings.

A represents the legs or frame which supports the machine. B represents the box or tub 5 C, the crank-shaft; D, the washer-shaft; E, a jointed arm attached to D, .and F the rock-shaft, to which E is also attached.

The legs are fastened to the sides of the box B, and two of them extend up above the box and support the rock-shaft F.

The arm E passes through a mortise in F, and is allowed to move or be slipped back and forth, as may be desired, and is fastened with a pin or bolt, a. The other end of this arm is hinged to the washer-shaft D at the top. The washer-shaft D has a clutch or bracket, d, attached to one side of it, and by which it is suspended on the crank-shaft C. This shaft D hangs nearly vertical, but swings or oscillates with themotion of the crank-shaft. The washer J is attached to the other side of D.

-The crank-shaft C lies horizontally across the top of the box or tub, the bearing being upon or near the ends, the crank portion being the width of the tub in this example of my invention,v for the purpose of keeping it in place mainly; but it may be made shorter, and there may be collars or flangesl on the shaft to keep it in place. A liywheel, G, is attached to one end of the crank-shaft, outside of the box, with a crank-handle, 7L, by which the shaft is revolved.

The washer J has a curved or fluted surface, and it is as long as the inside of the box B. The revolution of the crank C gives this washer a compound motion, squeezing and rubbing at the same time, the joint at the hinged end allowing the shaft D, to which the washer is attached, free motion. The crank C in its revolution forces the washer toward the box, giving the clothes a squeeze, and at the same time raising it by the clutch d, and giving the clothes a rub, and altogether manipulating them in such a manner that they are very soon cleansed. It will be noticed that the clothes are dropped into the suds at every revolution of the crank, and then caught and handled as above. When the process is completed the shaft D, with the washer J, is lifted off the crank and out of the box or tub, to give free access to the clothes.

To accommodate a large or a small bunch of clothes, the arm E is adjusted by moving the pin c to some other hole in the rock-shaft. The fly-wheel G, to which the handle h is attached, steadies the motion of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The crank-shaft C, the vertical shaft- D, with its washer J, the arm E, and the rock-shaft F, in combination with the box B, arranged' substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

J. HINDMAN. Witnesses:

F. E. HENDERSON, ADDIsoN BowEN. 

